Dyslexia and Music Lessons

[IndigoBell]

Two different people have told me that learning an instrument can help dyslexia.

Has anyone else heard this? Or got personal annecdoetes they could share?

Learning an instrument is supposed to be useful with Maths skills, whether you are dyslexic or not.

I have not heard that it helps with dyslexia.

I would say that if it is something your child enjoys and boosts their self-esteem, go for it.

If you are going to be locked into battles about practising then you probably have bigger fights to win and your child will need down time after school, as HW will take them longer.

I should say that my twins found martial arts useful for building up their left-right orientation. The focus on using two hands at once when playing an instrument might be useful if that is an issue.

How old is your child?
I got a good book "The Right Instrument For Your Child" which helps.

Some dyslexic children struggle with reading music, but some do very well. The teaching methods employed may help.

Thanks.

Be careful of 'The Right Instrument for you Child' - it seriously generalises and is not sound! In fact, some bits of it make us music teachers laugh (or cry!). It also tends to encourage pushy parents to push their children onto the wrong instrument purely based on its skewed advice.

Take your child somewhere where they can try and hear different instruments - local music services would be useful, or if private school, speak to music dep. Also local music shops can be helpful.

Some dyslexic students can find reading music very difficult. I would recommend finding a properly trained Suzuki teacher, as the reading comes later, after a child has developed a real love of the instrument. I would also only pursue this if the child really wanted to learn an instrument, otherwise you're just adding another pressure.

Cimarosa why? The biggest message I got from it was why my kids probably didn't thrive at the Piano, but it might suit the youngest (although her issue is that she doesn't want to be taught anything during the school day or by a man).

Then I have also taken mine to try an instrument days, middle one did well at everything but after a term of flute quit (partly because she still got praised after no practise). Oldest quit trumpet partly because he knew the teacher was praising his friend a lot and not him.

Overall the book suggested Clarinet for my middle one, which I have suggested but she rejected. We'll see how senior school goes, she may go back to the piano.

Cimarosa - yes I was thinking the suzuki method and learning by ear would be a good way to start.

She really wants to learn the violin as some of her friends do, and every time I put on violin music she smiles. I tried playing her music from other instruments and she definitely prefers violin.

I'll take it slowly (and cheaply) and allow her to give up if she doesn't like it or like practicing. The last thing she needs as more pressure.